Fluid-molding press.



H. M. BROOKFIELD & S. OLSEN.

FLUID MOLDING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 24. mm.

5 SHEETSSHEH I.

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FLUID MOLDING PRESS.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 24, I912. 1,137,000. Patented Apr. 27, 191.).

5 SHEETSSHEtI 2.

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H. M. BROOKFIELD & S. OLSEN. FLUID MOLDING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1912. 1,137,000.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

5 SHEETS SHELI 3.

H. M. BROOKFIELD & S. OLSEN. FLUID MOLDING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 24, 1912- 1,137,000. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. BROOKFIELD, OF NEW YORK, AND SIGWARD OLSEN, OF BROO KLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE BROOKFIELD GLASS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FLUID-MOLDING PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

lb all 10h 0m it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY M. BROOK- FIELD and SIGWARD OLSEN, citizens of the United States, residing at New York city, New York, and Brooklyn, New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Molding Presses, of which the full, and exact description.

This invention relates to presses and particularly to the type of presses which are used for molding a fluid or plastic substance.

The invention is particularly applicable to such presses as are employed for pressihg small articles, such as insulators, which may be formed of glass, and to similar machines for molding articles of any fluid or plastic substance.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, when the mold is used:for forming a hollow article such as an insulator, the mold receives the liquid or plastic substance, and the mold is then closed to prevent the escape of the plastic substance within it, and the forming tool or plunger enters the mold to shape the interior of the article being formed.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for locking the closure of the mold in position so as to prevent the plastic substance from being squeezed out of the mold as the plunger enters.

A further object of the invention is to produce a machine which will enable the molding operations to be carried on rapidly and automatically.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2

is a vertical section taken through the machine, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4. is a vertical section illustrating one of the molds in the act of forming the insulator,

and particularly illustrating the preferred means for locking the closure of the mold in place; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 4', and taken in a plane disposed radially from the central axis of the machine; Fig. 6 is a side elevafollowing is a clear,

tion of the follower shown in Fig. 4, and particularly illustrating the means for releasing the follower to permit the closure of the mold to be withdrawn; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5, passing through the base of the mold; Fig. 9 is a front elevation of one of the molds and showing a portion of the carrier in section which supports the molds;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the mold shown in Fig. 9, certain parts being broken away; and Fig. 11 is a plan of the mold shown in Figs. 9 and 10 and showing the same in its open position as in the act of delivering the finished article.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 12 indicates the frame of the machine which may comprise a base plate 13, upon which a table 14 is supported. The said table 14' is preferably circular and the middle portion thereof is formed into a turn table 15, which may support a wormwheel 16, which may be rotated continuously by means of a worm 17 carried by shaft 18 and driven through gearing 19 from a main shaft 2 Sa d gearing being driven directly through bevel gears 21.

At the side of the machine and supported on pulleys 22 there is preferably provided a delivery belt 23, which may be driven by a chain 24 from gearing 25 driven from a shaft 26, which latter shaft forms a part of the gearing 19.

Rigidly secured on the worm wheel 16 we provide a mold carrier 27, which is preferably of circular form and is provided with a plurality of molds .28 which may be equidistant circumferentially upon the carrier. A preferred form of one of these molds is illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11. Each mold preferably comprises two separable side parts 29 which are pivotally connected at 30 and adapted to swing apart as illustrated in Fig. 11. Each mold preferably comprises also a base 31, the outer portion of which forms a chamber 32 to receive the bottom part 33 of the mold. While the side parts 29 of the molds are adapted to swing away from each other in a horizontal plane, the bottom' part or cup 33 is adapted to swing outwardly, preferably in a vertical plane, for which purpose it may be provided with an arm 34 attached on a horizontal pivot 35,

said arm carrying a roller 36 at its outward. extremity. Each mold is preferably provided with a latch or lock 37 in the form of a spring pressed trigger 38, having a hook 39 adapted to engage'with a hook Dlate 40 on the opposite member, to hold the side parts of the mold together, and directly over the bottom part 33, so that when the parts are together they form a complete mold to shape the exterior of the insulator or other article. The pivot pin 39 of the side parts has its lower end secured in the carrier 27 and may have its upper end secured in a bracket 41, as shown in Figs. 2 and 10. The

bottom part 33 of each moldnormally rests on a central adjusting screw 33 held in plate 33*. After the mold is open as indicated in Fig. 11, the molded article can be ejected or delivered by automatic means 00- operating With the lever 34, and to be described hereinafter.

The machine preferably is formed with a central tubular post 42 which houses the upper part of the main shaft 20, and this post supports rotatably an upper frame plate 43. Between the frame plate 43 and the carrier 27 are provided a plurality of cross-head guides 44, between which vertically slidable cross-heads 45 are provided, and said cross-heads may be counterweighted by weights 47 supported on cords 48 passing over elevated pulleys 49 supported on the frame plate. The underside of each cross-head 45 is preferably provided with a follower 50, each of said followers comprising a plug 51, preferably of conical form, which is attached on the underside thereof. The follower is not rigidly attached to its cross-head but is flexibly or resiliently connected therewith, preferably by the construction shown in Fig. 4, which tends to hold the follower depressed below the crosshead but which will permit a limited upward movement. For this purpose We may provide pins 52 which pass downwardly through openings in the cross-head so that their lower ends are attached in the follower, springs 53 being provided around the pins which tend to press the follower downwardly. The heads 54 on the pins may limit the downward movement of the follower with respect to the cross-head. It is understood that in the molding operation, as the follower descends the plug 51 thereof enters the upper portion of the mold. which is of conical form to fit the plug. We provide means for locking this follower against upward movement after its plug has closed the mold. For this purpose the cross-head guides 44 may be provided with notches or recesses 55, and locking pawls 56 may be provided on the follower mounted on the pivots 57, said pawls being pressed outwardly by springs 58 so that their extremities engage the side faces or edges of the guides 44. WVhen the follower has descended as far as possible, the springs 58 force the pawls 56 into the notches and lock the follower against rising.

Passing down through each cross-head and through each followed, there is provided a plunger 59 of any suitable construction, and which may comprise an outer tube 60 and an inner tube 61, said outer tube 60 being preferably provided with a shoulder 62 which will be engaged by the bottom face of the cross-head as it descends so as to force the plunger down with the follower. The lower end of the outer tube 60 which forms the core of the mold is formed of screw threads (53, and this part of the plunger passes into the interior of the mold so as to form threads in the plastic substance or work Glwhich is held in the mold. Around the lower part of the plunger there is provided a tubular gland or sleeve 65, the upper end of which may be attached to the lower face of the follower. \Vhen the follower descends, the lower end of this gland also passes into the interior of the mold so as to assist in shaping the interior of the molded article. The plunger-s 59 are provided at their upper ends with steam heads (36, which enable steam to be conducted down to the end of the plunger and into the interior of the mold in the usual manner, and these steam heads may be connected with a steam supply by means of flexible hose 67, which maintain the steam connection when the plungers and the cross-heads rise and fall in the operation of the machine. The chamber 32 at the base of the mold may also be provided with a steam coil (38 in the usual manner, which may be connected with any one of the hose 6? by flexible connection, or a hose (39 as indicated in Fig. 2. The hose 67 may be supplied with steam or hot air from the central head 70.

lVhen the article has been molded and is held in the mold as indicated in Fig. 4, it is necessary to rotate the plunger in Withdrawing it, which may be accomplished in the usual manner and by means of bevel gears 71, 72, the bevel gear 72 being splined on the outer tube (30. These plungers are rotated at the proper times by closing clutches 73 automatically by means of a. fixed cam 74, said clutches being mounted on radial shafts 75 which may be driven by bevel gear 76 on the main shaft 20. The movable clutch member is controlled by levers 77 which may have rollers 78 normally held against the edge of the cam by springs 79.

The cross-heads carry rollers 80 which roll on the upper side of a fixed cam 81, and this cam permits the cross-heads to descend at the proper times so that the followers may close their molds.

Arrangement is made for automatically unlocking the lockingpawls 56 to enable each follower to withdraw. For this purpose we may provide a device such as that illustrated in detail inFigs. 6 and 7, comprising two ifims 82 which extend under the pawls 56 as indicated in Fig. 4, and these arms may be rigidly attached to a, shaft 83 which is adapted to be rocked by means of a roller 84 which engages a cam 85 at the proper moment. Thls cam 85 may be secured on the underside .of the '81. As soon as a mold is unlatched, it is pulled open automatically into the position shown in Fig. 11. This may be accomplished in any suitable manner, such as by means of a cross-head 86, to which links 87 are attached, the outer ends of said links being attached through spring connections 88 with lugs 89 on'the sides of the side parts 29 of the mold. Each cross-head is pulled inwardly at the proper moment by means of a fixed cam 90 with whichthe inner end of each cross-head 86 is connected. The shaft 83 may be provided with a spring 83 which normally holds the arms 82 down so as to permit the outward locking movement of the awls 56.

T e moldsand their ejecting mechanism form the subject matter of our co-pending application Ser. No. 792,746 filed October 1, 1913, but as this mechanism is incidentally useful with the above described parts, we shall now describe it.

In order to permit the cam 90 to open each mold at the proper moment, each mold is unlocked, and this may be accomplished as indicated in Fig. 3 by means of a pin 91 which projects upwardly from the table 14 in such a way as to strike the tails of the spring latches or looks 38.

In order to deliver the finished article automatically from the mold, the cam roller 36 on the lever 34 of the bottom part of the mold engages with the cam or cam rail 92, as indicated in Fig. 2, and this swings the bottom part 32 of the mold into an elevated position over the belt 23 and near a guide 93 which guides the molded article down onto the belt when it falls out. The ends of the cam rail 92 may be supported on suitable posts 94, and in order to accomplish the return movement of the lever 34, we mayprovide a spring frame 95 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To insure that the molded insulator 96 held as indicated in Fig. 2 will become detached from the elevated bottom part 32, we prefer to provide an engaging member for dislocatin it. This engaging member may have the orm of a yoke 97, as indicated in Fig. 1 the end of the yoke projecting in the path of the insulator. This yoke is preferably formed on a lever pivotally supported at 98 on one of the posts 94, and rovided with a cam arm 99. This cam arm 18 adaptu5 ed to be struck in succession by pins 100 which may project radially from the guides 44. The yoke 97 may be counterweighted by a weight 101, which normally holds the yoke elevated. In Fig. 1 the guide 93 is omitted to prevent it from hiding other parts of the mechanism. After the molded article 96 is delivered, the bottom part 33 of the mold falls back by gravity into its normal position, and soon after this occurs the cam 90 forces out the cross-head of this mold and the spring latch or lock 38 snaps over the hook plate 40 so as to hold the mold closed preparatory to receiving the next measured amount of stock.

The general mode of operation of the machine will be briefly reviewed.

A measured or predetermined amount of stock, such as molten glass, is placed in one of the molds at the proper point on the machine, and as the carrier rotates, the cam 81 permits the cross-head 45, corresponding to the filled mold, to descend. It will be understood that the cross-heads more than counter-balance the weight of the counterweights i7 and hence the cross heads tend to descend. As the cross-head 45 descends, the plug 51 of the follower 50 closes the upper side of the mold, and this plug or closure 51 is locked in place by the locking pawls 56 engaging the notches 55. The resilient or flexible connection between the follower and the cross-head, including the springs 53, permits a further descent of the cross-head, so that the sleeve and the lower end of the plunger 59 passes down into the interior of the mold and shapes the interior of the molded article. Shortly after this the looking pawls 56 are released automatically by the rotation of the machine through the movement of the arms 82 connected by the cam 85. This permits the cross-head and follower to be raised by the cam 81. As the cross-head rises the plunger 59 is rotated and raised at a speed corresponding to the pitch of the molded thread so as to withdraw it from the mold without injuring the molded thread. After the plunger has been withdrawn the mold is unlatched by the releasing pin 91 which engages the spring latch or lock 38 of the mold. The side parts 29 of the mold are then pulled apart by the opening cam 90, and as the rotation of the moldcarrier continues, the bottom art 33 of the mold swings upwardly and substantially radially away from the axis of the mold and away from the axis of the machine through the action of the cam rail 92 so as to eject or deliver the molded article 96, which may be dislodged by the disengaging member or yoke 97 and de ivered in an inverted position on the belt 23.

It is understood that the form of the invention described is the preferred embodiment thereof, but the invention may take many forms of construction and we do not wish to be limited in our claims to the particular form or embodiment of the invention described above.

What we claim as new is:

1. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like, the combination of a movable carrier having a plurality of molds mounted thereon, the bottoms of said molds being closed when the material in said molds is under pressure, a plunger including a core for each mold adapted to cooperate therewith in forming an article, and having a follower for closing the open end of its mold when the material in said molds is under pressure, locking means for each follower, means for operating said plungers and followers for advancing them to their mold to close said follower thereupon and effectuate the locking action of said locking means, and for continuing the advancing motion of said plunger with its core into its mold after said follower is locked, and means for unlocking said followers.

2. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like, in combination, a rotatable carrier having a plurality of molds mounted thereon, a plunger for each mold adapted to cooperate therewith in forming an article, and having a follower for closing the open end of its mold, means operated by the rotation of said machine for raising and lowering said plungers and followers, locking means for holding each follower in closed position during the pressing action of its plunger, and means for unlocking said followers actuated by the rotation of said carrier.

3. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like, the combination of a mold for receiving glass and the bottom of which is closed at the time the glass is under pressure, a plunger cooperating therewith, a follower slidably mounted on said plunger, locking means for said follower, and means for advancing said plunger and follower to said mold to close said follower thereupon and effectuate the locking action of said locking means, and for continuing the advancing motion of said plunger after said follower is locked.

4. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like, in combination, a mold for receiving glass, a plunger cooperating therewith, a cross-head adapted to move in the direction of said mold, a follower moving with said cross-head and adapted to seat on said mold to close the same, means for imparting a yielding pressure from said cross-head to said follower, said plunger having a free sliding movement through said follower so that it may move into the mold after said follower closes said mold, and locking means for holding said follower in closed position during said free sliding movement of said plunger.

5. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like in combination, a rotatable carrier having a plurality of molds mounted thereon, a plunger for each mold adapted to coiiperate therewith in forming an article, a cross-head for depressing said plunger, a follower for closing the open end of each mold slidably mounted on its associated plunger and adapted to engage the same for downward movement, a flexible connection between each cross-head and its associated follower, cam means operated by the rotation of the carrier for giving said cross-heads vertical mpvement, locking means for holding eacli follower in closed position during the pressing movement of its respective plunger, and means actuated by the rotation of said carrier for unlocking said followers.

6. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like, the combination of a movable carrier having a mold thereon, means cooperating witl said mold to form an article and havi a follower to close said mold, means r locking said follower in closed positio and means operated by said carrier to unlock said follower.

7. In a glass pressing machine for forming insulators and the like, the combination of a movable carrier, a mold supported thereon, a plunger for said mold adapted to cooperate therewith in forming an article, a member for depressing said plunger, a follower for closing the open end of said mold, slidably mounted on said plunger and adapted to engage the same for downward movement, a flexible connection between said depressing member and said follower, means operated by said carrier for giving said depressing member a vertical movement, looking means for holding said follower in closed position during the pressing movement of its plunger, and means actuated by said carrier for unlocking said follower.

Signed at New York c ty, New York, this 20th day of July, 1912.

HENRY M. BROOKFIELD. SIGWVARD OLSEN. Witnesses:

C. T. NEAL, FRANK BROOKFIELD. 

